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To reduce high unemployment among their young people, countries are looking to others for help. In countries, such as Germany, the Netherlands and Austria youth unemployment has remained relatively low. This is attributed in part to their apprenticeships or ‘dual’ systems and so interest in them has increased.

Although around 45% of employees participate in continuing vocational training courses provided by enterprises, adult participation in lifelong learning in 2012 in France was only 5.7%. This is well below the European average of 9.0% and a long way from the European target of 15% to be reached by 2020. According to indicators compiled by Cedefop (the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training), adult participation in lifelong learning in France is also below Spain (10.7%) and Italy (6.6%), but slightly above Germany (7.9%).

Italy has high numbers of young people participating in initial vocational education and training compared to the EU average. According to indicators compiled by Cedefop (the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training), in 2012, 60% of all upper secondary students in Italy were vocational students, above the EU average of 50.3% and higher than in Germany (48.6%) and France (44.6%).

In Germany, students in initial vocational education and training (IVET) accounted for 48.6% of all upper secondary students in 2012, close to the EU average of 50.3%, but below Italy’s 60% according to indicators compiled by Cedefop (the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training). The main difference between Germany’s IVET students and other countries is that 88.2% are enrolled in combined work- and school-based programmes, compared to only 27% in the EU as a whole.

Partnerships between education and training and social partners are not an option but inevitable to prevent skills mismatch and having people not in employment, education or training (NEETs), argued Cedefop Director James Calleja at the Greek EU Presidency’s flagship conference on vocational education and training (VET).

Greece’s participation in a survey of adult skills organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with the support of the European Commission was launched on 31 March at the Mapping skills shortages, planning the future, conference in Athens.

Unemployment in many European Union (EU) countries is alarmingly high. Yet, surveys still find that firms have problems filling vacancies. Manpower’s 2013 talent shortage survey found on average more than 25% of firms across 17 Member States reported recruitment difficulties. Many argue that this is because young graduates and other workers are ill-prepared and the lack of the right skills is responsible for Europe’s high rates of unemployment.

Cedefop Director James Calleja told a conference organised by the European Commission and the Romanian government in Bucharest that ‘in addressing NEETs (people not in employment, education or training) we should keep in mind that prevention is better than cure and that detecting potential NEETs should be a key concern in school education.’

European Union (EU) Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion László Andor called his visit to Cedefop premises on 4 March ‘a very important experience’ and stated that ‘good vocational education and training systems are crucial for employment’.

At a European Observatoire of Sport and Employment (EOSE) conference, at Wembley Stadium in London, Cedefop Director James Calleja proposed a joint activity on vocational education and training (VET) and mobility of the sport and active leisure sector and the international financial services sector based on a common model of governance to support the use of European tools and policies related to VET, skills and qualifications.

Young people with vocational education and training (VET) qualifications, which include a significant amount of work-based learning, have higher employment rates compared to those who come from general education or from fully or mainly school-based VET, Cedefop Director James Calleja told the European Commission’s monitoring conference in Brussels (11-12 February).

Presenting Cedefop’s work at the European Parliament, the Centre’s new Director, James Calleja, said that all its activities ‘aim at emphasising the inescapable link between training, skills, qualifications and employability.’

Too many young people leave education (including vocational education) too soon. Yet early leavers are at greater risk of long-term unemployment, poverty and crime, while the cost of early leaving to the European economy is now 1.25% of GDP.

Cedefop Director James Calleja presented on Monday in Thessaloniki the Cedefop / Photomuseum Prize to Turkish photographer Aydin Cetinbostanoglu for his project ‘Diary of a village doctor’. Mr Calleja stressed ‘the truly international character of the prize’ and added that the award is ‘not only a way to support the art of photography but also to visualise vocational education and training and to draw attention to the big issue of today: how to bridge education and work’.

According to first findings from the OECD survey of adult skills (PIAAC), literacy levels vary across countries and between vocational education and training (VET) and general education graduates at upper-secondary levels. Cedefop is working closely with the OECD on developing indicators for the survey to measure development and use of skill.

Qualifications frameworks based on learning outcomes are now a global phenomenon. Over 30 European countries are in the process of introducing comprehensive national frameworks. But the long-term success of these frameworks depends on creating close links with other education and labour market policies and practices; on citizens’ awareness of their uses; and on active involvement of social partners every step of the way.